The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) has published its 2024 Total Industry Sales by Category and State Report, part of the US Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract. The data show that retail spending on recreational marine products and services reached $55.6bn in 2024, a decline of 2.6 per cent compared with 2023.
In addition to relatively healthy spending, the report confirms that boating consumers in the USA continued using and outfitting their boats last year.
Expenditure figures include purchases of new and pre-owned boats, outboard engines, trailers and aftermarket accessories. They also cover boat use spending such as fuel, financing, insurance, docking and maintenance. Boat use spending totalled $12.1bn, and aftermarket accessories accounted for $12.4bn, both flat compared with 2023.
New boat sales reached 238,117 units in 2024, led by outboard models at 141,590 units. Pre-owned sales totalled 858,798 boats, representing 78.3 per cent of transactions compared with 21.7 per cent for new sales.
Seasonality trends showed activity peaking in late spring and early summer, with December accounting for 3 per cent of annual sales.
“The annual data for 2024 confirm what many in the industry speculated — that people continued using their boats and interest in being on the water remained strong last year despite slowing unit sales amid economic turbulence and shifting consumer demand,” says Ellen Bradley, NMMA senior vice president of marketing and communications.
“The attraction of being on the water is our industry’s greatest competitive advantage and we can expect that some of the boat use activity last year is a result of consumers getting on the water through a variety of expanding entry points – from boat clubs to peer-to-peer sharing, providing opportunities for our industry to harness participation.”
The news of buoyant 2024 sales comes after NMMA reported ongoing weakness in new boat sales through June 2025, as increased borrowing costs and broader economic uncertainty continue to curb consumer demand.
The US Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract is available to download now, with pricing information available on the NMMA website.
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